Matches for "Philip Iggo"

A promising trotter who last raced for the powerful Kiwi training duo of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen impressed at the Albion Park Trials yesterday (Tuesday).
The now Brad Connelly-trained Musculus, bled as a $1.10 favourite (sixth) in his only Australian start at Redcliffe on August 22 last year. He was put aside for three months and has now come back big and strong.
After breaking and finishing a lonely last in a standing start trial at Albion Park on February 15, the five-year-old Muscle Mass gelding proved his worth at the same venue yesterday.
"I asked Nathan (Dawson - driver) to give him a quiet run, because we now know he's a bleeder and he does have a tendency to break,” Connelly said.
"But yesterday he was safe and trotted well and when Nathan came back he said he felt good all the way - and did it easy. That is encouraging because I know Mark and Natalie wouldn't have taken him on if he wasn't much.”
Musculus bobbled slightly at the start from gate four, but recovered quickly to lead going out of the home straight the first time.
Dawson then controlled all the pace in front to beat his four opponents by 6.5m and 1.6m respectively. His winning time for the 2,138 stand was 2:44 even with a 2:03.4 mile rate.
Musculus's sections were 29.8, 31.7, 30, and 29.4.
“I’m delighted with the way he has bounced back. He trots along nicely and should progress his way through the grades to open company,” Connelly said.
“In saying that I still don’t think he’s as good as his stablemate, Needle, who is also a New Zealand-bred trotter.”
Musculus was originally trained by Philip Iggo in Canterbury before Purdon and Rasmussen took him on for his last two starts in New Zealand.
He finished second for them first up and then he broke in the 4yo (ruby) Jewels Final at Cambridge Raceway on June 2. That's when he went on the market," Connelly said.
Musculus had 20 starts in New Zealand for three wins and 11 placings. He banked just over $50,000 in stakes. His mother Sheez Speedy (by Sundon) won six races for master Templeton trainer, Peter Jones.
Musculus, who was exported from New Zealand on June 15 last year, is the last of Sheez Speedy’s 10 foals.
His best performance came at Addington Raceway on March 23 last year when he was too good for his 12 opponents bolting away to with a $20,000 Haras des Trotteurs 3yo and over Trot by more than five lengths.
"Jeroen (Nieuwenburg) bought him. He owns most of the horses in my stable. I’m currently working 10 and Needle would be the best of them,” Connelly said.
“But I have a bit of an opinion of this fella. If he does what he’s capable of then he could be right up there in my top couple.”
The 58-year-old, who got his trainer’s licence before he was 20, said Musculus would line up at Albion Park on Tuesday week.
“If we can stay on top of his bleeding then I think he has the potential to go to the top class. He did it easy yesterday without being touched. That was encouraging,” the Tamborine Village horseman said.
For the record Musculus is Latin for muscle.
Musculus winning at yesterday’s trial: http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=AP120319N
Duane Ranger

Champion harness racing pacer Lazarus has set a new race record when winning today's (Gr2) $50,000 Kaikoura Cup.
Lazarus won easily after sitting parked and paced the 2400 metres from the standing start in 2.54.3, which bettered the previous record by more than a second.
The time equated to a blistering mile-rate of 1.56.8 for the standing start race.
Lazarus blasted home his last 800m in 54.1 seconds, with a final 400m in 26.8secs around the packed South Bay race track.
Trainer Mark Purdon said after the race, "He was just too good today and was always travelling well"
"He will probably go to the Cup trial next week, and then on to the Cup in two weeks time"
Titan Banner had every chance in front for driver Dexter Dunn and stuck on well for second. North Island pacer No Doctor Needed ran home well for third.
Earlier in the day the Philip Iggo trained Bordeaux went back to back in the (Gr3) $30,000 South Bay Trotters Cup.
In a repeat of last year, the striking Love You gelding led for the last lap and easily held off a game The Foot Tapper to win the Trotters Cup for the second time in two years.
Bordeaux trotted the 2400m stand in 3-01.8 for driver Dexter Dunn, with the last 800m cut out in 57.4 seconds.
Bordeaux and winning connections. HRNZ photo
The South Bay race track was in great order with some sizzling times recorded throughout the day.
Cran Dalgety trained two winners that rated faster than a 1.55 mile rate.
Times Stride led all the way for Dexter Dunn rating 1.54.9 for the mobile 1900m and two races later Pat's Delight went slightly faster after sitting parked and rating 1-54.5 for the 1900m mobile. Both horses zipped home in around 55 seconds for their last 800m.
Bordeaux winning the (Gr3) $30,000 South Bay Trotters Cup.
Lazarus winning the Kaikoura Cup
Harnesslink Media

Champion harness racing pacer Lazarus has won the (G2) $50,000 Inkwise Canterbury Classic at Addington tonight, and in the process reclaimed his status as New Zealand Trotting Cup favourite with the TAB bookmakers.
Lazarus who was only in to the field to get the race off the ground, began well for driver Mark Purdon and trailed for most of the race, before zipping up the passing lane to grab the leader Have Faith In Me with 50m to go.
The winner paced the the 2600m stand in 3-19.3 with a final 800m in a quick 55.3 and 400m in 26.1 seconds.
Heaven Rocks who was expected to be more forward than Lazarus and a better chance tonight, never paced well at any stage and dropped out to finish last of the five horse field.
Driver Natalie Rasmussen said, "early indications by the vet, was that Heavens Rock had suffered a fractured pastern, but they would be investigating further after the horse had cooled down".
Earlier in the night Bordeaux won the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup for Flaxton (North Canterbury) trainer Philip Iggo.
Bordeaux was taken to the front by driver Dexter Dunn after 600m and he led for the rest of the race, before holding off the strong finish of Great Things Happen and Gavin Smith, to win by a narrow margin.
Dexter drove a double for the night when Pat's Delight surged to an impressive win in the 2nd NRM Sires Stakes Heat.
Pat's Delight rated 1-56.0 when defeating a strong field, with a closing 800m in 55.7 and 400m in 27.7
Lazarus narrowly winning the (G2) $50,000 Inkwise Canterbury Classic
Harnesslink Media

Phil Iggo knows what it’s like to place in Group One trotting events.
He’s even won three Group Threes but in December 2016 the North Canterbury horseman wants to go one better in the North Island.
“Ultimately I’m up here (Auckland) to win the (Group One) National Trot with Bordeaux. This is my second trip north with horses and last time we were here The Fat Controller finished third, sixth and fourth,” Iggo said.
The three races Iggo was referring to were the Group Two $40,000 Lyell Creek Stakes at Alexandra Park this Friday; the Group Two Flying Mile at Cambridge Raceway on Christmas Eve; and the Group One $80,000 National Trot on New Year’s Eve.
“Bordeaux will start in those three races while we are in the North Island. I don’t think Marcoola is not that much inferior to Monbet, but those two trotters aside the ranks are pretty even.
“But in saying that my fella did beat the remainder at Kaikoura and finished fourth in the Dominion. I couldn’t be happier with him,” Iggo said.
Iggo left Flaxton last Wednesday (December 7) and arrived with Bordeaux and the un-raced 3-year-old Muscle Mass gelding - Musculus at Richard Brosnan’s Ardmore stable a couple of days later.
“I fast-worked them both on the Sunday before we left and then gave them a jog the morning we arrived. Then I took them both to the Alexandra Park Workouts.
“That was very beneficial,” Iggo said.
Both Bordeaux and Musculus were nice winners at the trials and workouts which attracted a whopping 80 entries.
Bordeaux and Iggo beat Le Reveur and Idle Bones by a neck and three lengths trotting the R89 and faster event in 2:47.1. His winning mile rate for the 2200m mobile was 2:02.2.
Musculus and Iggo beat nine others in their maiden 2200m trot by a length in 2:56.2 (mile rate 2:08.8) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 60.6 and 30.1.
“The 3-year-old is out of our six-win Sundon mare we bred named Sheez Speedy. I qualified him two seconds under time at Rangiora about six weeks ago.
“He’s progressed nicely since. Saturday’s win was his first in five runs at the workouts and trials. I like him a lot and hopefully he should go boldly on debut in the next couple of weeks,” Iggo said.
Musculus won’t line up on Friday but Bordeaux will start from barrier two on the second line (10) in Friday's Group Two Rosslands Lyell Creek Stakes Free-For-All.
“The last time we were up here we were chasing around good ones like Sovereignty and One Over Kenny. Marcoola aside I think it’s going to be a bit easier this time around.
“It was a long journey up but both horses have come through it well and settled in nicely at Richard and Julija’s wonderful property. The workout win has rounded Bordeaux off nicely for Friday,” Iggo said.
Dexter Dunn will drive the chestnut. He was bred by Iggo and his wife Martine, and is by Love You and is out of their six-win Britewell mare, Sapient.
Bordeaux has won eight of his 17 starts and placed in two others for $76,406. He placed in this year's Group Three D G Jones Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup two starts back and then ran fourth in the Group One Dominion on November 11.
Iggo trains his team in a straight line back home but isn’t too perturbed about his duo coping with the Alexandra Park-way-around.
“We are venturing into the unknown a bit, but I have added a near-side pole to teach them to keep their heads straight. Both are working well and I was pleased with the way they came through their first look at Alexandra Park.
"I've won three Group threes and placed in a couple of Group Ones over the years. The aim is to improve on that record while I'm up here," Iggo said.
Duane Ranger